Swimming-paddle



(No Model-) J SHAABER SWIMMING'PADDLE.

No. 373,692.. Patented Nov. 22, 1887.

v J' J WITNESSES INVEJVTOR Y Jr/co Jwwer; F /661" UNTTED STATES PATENT Fl lQE-O JACOB SHAABER, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWlMMlNG-PADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,692, dated November 22, 1887.

Application filed January 31, 1857. Serial No. 225,970. ("No model.)

To @213 whom, it 772/661] concern.

Be it known that I, JACOB SHAABER, a citi zen of the United States, residing at the city of Reading, county of Berks, State of Penn sylvania, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Swimming and Life-Preserving Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains more particularly to a form of paddle which a swimmer takes and holds in his hands upon entering the water to swim or acquire the art thereof.

The object of the improvement is to give increased momentum to the swimmer using my improvement, to do this without much additional physical ellort above that necessary to use in the ordinary act of swimming, to give increased confidence to parties learning to swim, to increase the pleasures of sea bat-hing by introducing aquatic sports in which the use of my improved paddle will play its part, and in producing more rapid movements than can be secured by the unaided use of the hands.

The drawings accompanying this specifica tion and forming a part of the same fully disclose the nature and use of my improvement, like letters of reference indicating like parts.

Figure 1 represents aswimmer in the act of making the return or propulsive stroke, showing the paddles so held as to secure the effective force of the water against the full area of the faces of the same. Fig. 2 shows the swimmer, having terminated the propulsive effort, as having thrown his hands with the paddles forward for a repetition of the same. The paddles, presenting their edges or points of least resistance to the movement, will for the return-stroke be revolved at right angles to present their full area, as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents in full elevation the paddle, showing it to consist of two double convexfaced parallelograms united by a central handhold of cylindrical form integral therewith; Fig. 4, a side or edge elevation of the same; Fig, 5, a top plan of the same; in all of which- Arepresents the water; B, the swimmer; O,

the double convex-faced paddles; D, the handhold, uniting and forming an integral portion of thesame; E, a cord or strap hole; F, a cord or strap having one end secured through said hole to the paddle.

The blades 0 have shoulders c where they arejoined onto the hand-hold D, and the said haudhold is of such length that it may be grasped with one hand, with the fingers and thumb encircling it in opposite directions, and with the said shoulders in close proximity to the hand on either side of it. A strap with a buckle, G, adapted by punching for the tongue of the same to form a loop, H, suited to the wrist of the swimmer, may form a superior substitute; but a mere cord will answer, tied to the paddle and secured to the wrist or bathing suit of the swimmer, to prevent loss of the paddle should the same be released from the hand. i

The paddles may be stamped out of any suitable metal, and the central edges locked by special machinery; or the central edges may be soldered; or the paddles may be manufac" tured out of some of the light strong woodssuch as basswood, poplar, or pine. Very little additional floating power will in the sea preserve the body from entire submergence. Life-preservers, if properly applied, are valuable safeguards; but in many instances under the excitement of leaving a sinking or burning vessel the prescrver is applied too low down upon the body, and the result is that upon a person throwing himself into the water the lower limbs are lifted into the air and the head is submerged, thus making a case of in voluntary suicide; but with a pair of paddles in the hands and attention given to the use of the same the case is difi'erent, as the person will then rely upon his or her own efforts to remain afloat until rescue can be made. The necessary exertion to sustain the body diverts the mind from much of the horror of the situation, and is thus a boon to the user,

I am aware of much that has been done in the line of swimmingappliances; but in all that have come under my notice the strain brought to bear upon the hands or feet is of an unnatural character. Patent No. 13,455 of August 21, 1855, Dugald Campbell, shows a swimming-glove in which the fingers and thumbs are outspread in the act of swimming, the spaces between being filled out with a flexible web. This device could only he used a .strain upon the wrist.

short time before cramp would be feltin the hands and the gloves would have to be removed. Patent No. 183,045, of October 10, 1876, R. H. WV. Dunlop, shows a heartshaped plate with a hold for the hand of a buckled strap upon one of its faces. In this case the hand lies flat against the face of the paddle in a constrained position, and the same cannot be manipulated to feather and expose full area of the same without a tiresome and fatiguing In my case the hold is a natural one,.and completely controls the movement of the paddles by aslight effort on the part of the user.

Having shown my improvement and de scribed its use and advantages, I desire to claim as follows:

1. A swimming device consisting of two paddles, each provided with two equal blades,

0, having shoulders c united by the cy1indrical hand-hold D, whereby one paddle may be grasped in each hand, with the thumb and fingers encircling the said hand-hold, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A swimming device consisting of two paddles, each provided with two equal blades, 0, having shoulders a united by the cylindrical hand-hold D, whereby one paddle may be grasped in each hand, with'the thumb and fingers encircling the said hand-hold, in combination with the straps F, securing saidpaddles to the swimmer, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JACOB SHAABER.

\Vitnesses:

WM. H. MCKINNEY,

F. Prnnon HUMMEL. 

